The layout is typical -- two seats up front bordering a floor console and a bench for three in back with indentions for two. Yet the uncluttered design of the dashboard impressed us, as did the look and tone of materials used to dress the cabin.

Front buckets and the rear bench are covered in premium cloth fabric with silky embroidery stitching on seat center inserts in a matching color. Side bolsters on the buckets have contours for a comfortable fit. The driver's seat moves easily in eight directions, and we had no trouble adjusting it to fit long legs and a tall torso.

The steering column also adjusts vertically, and we liked the feel of the thick wheel. For the OZ Rally, it's padded and covered by stitched leatherette.

The horizontal dash has scooped sections forward of each front seat but it bulges in the middle to extend a center panel of audio and climate controls closer to driver and passenger. Three rotary dials for the ventilation system are large and easy to use. The audio system located above features tiny dials that should be larger. A band of plastic trim stretches across the upper part of the dashboard and divides it into top and bottom sections. For ES and LS versions, the plastic resembles dark walnut veneer and divides the dash into two-tone regions, with a dark color on top and a lighter one below. The OZ Rally switches to brushed aluminum color for the trim panel, which blends nicely with the cabin's black color scheme.

Analog gauges clustered beneath an arching cowl are big and bold. Faces of the gauges are black with white lettering for ES and LS trims, but big round gauges with white faces go with the OZ Rally.

Lancer also comes with many standard safety features, including frontal airbags and three-point safety belts for five positions. Front seatbelts have pretensioners with force limiters plus height-adjustable anchors, all of which can help reduce belt injuries in an accident.